Beneath the Red Moon
by Sapphire Kyogre
Summary: Lunar eclipses are awe-inspiring now, but they were something else altogether in the Feudal Era... Oneshot. SessKag.


**I'm rating this 'T' just to be safe.**

**Well, this idea was fairly random. I think it started with a video we watched in science about the moon, and how a lot of people in olden times thought a lunar eclipse happened when a dragon or a demon took a bite out of the moon – so everyone always feared the nights of eclipses. They thought they were evil nights. Similar with the night of a full moon; people believed that others acted strangely under a full moon. Thus the term "lunacy" from the word "Lunar" or moon. ^.^**

**So I was thinking… since the moon seems to affect Inuyasha (the new moon being his period of weakness) let's suspend our disbelief to say that it affects all inu youkai and inu hanyou to a certain extent. That certain extent being the total eclipse of the moon! Omigosh! A night of demons **_**and**_** craziness affecting Inu and Sesshy! What insanity will ensue?**

**By the way, this is an alternate reality where Sesshoumaru has gotten his left arm back and Bakusaiga, but Kikyou is still alive (er… still undead?). Also, Miroku's kazaana isn't giving him any trouble.**

**IMPORTANT: The full moon usually is at its zenith point (directly overhead) at midnight, and it can be around 3.8 hours from when the moon first comes in contact with the earth's shadow till when it looses contact with the shadow. This eclipse won't be quite so long… perhaps 2 hours total. The totality of the eclipse will last about an hour (starting at 11:30 PM). So the moon will first start to change color at about 11:00 PM. Got it? Oh, and sunset is about 8:30 PM. The time is for the reader's benefit, as I'm pretty sure there were no clocks in the Feudal Era. Also, my vocabulary is a mix of the different versions, but I tried my best to use as much of the original terminology as I could. Bear with me, please!  
**

**Disclaimer: I DO NOT OWN INUYASHA! If I did, it would be about Sesshoumaru. XD  
**

Beneath the Red Moon

_~Seven o'clock PM, Bone Eater's Well in Feudal Japan~  
Kagome's P.O.V._

I heaved my heavy backpack over the edge of the well and climbed out behind it. There was no one to meet me, but I didn't think much of it – I was early, after all. Inuyasha had given me until sundown today to be back, and it was a little past seven o'clock now. Shouldering my backpack, I started towards Kaede's village with a spring in my step, eager to see my friends' faces when they saw I had come early; and with treats!

Inuyasha's face was the one I definitely wanted to see the most. I had only gotten him a bag of chips and one package of ramen, while the others had received at least five of their favorite future snacks.

Why was I being mean to him, you ask?

Because I caught him with Kikyou right before I left, that's why!

Oh, he doesn't know I did. Probably because he was too busy _kissing_ that clay doll to use his super-hanyou senses and figure out I was there! That was the real reason I asked to go home in the first place – I hated the feeling of betrayal that hung in the back of my mind every time I saw him. School just helped me forget for a while.

And I was far more amiable when I had time to forget Inuyasha's transgressions – trust me.

When I finally came out of the forest, I was surprised to see no one working in the fields. It was about seven, so, in theory, they could be getting dinner; but everyone getting dinner at once was a bit of a stretch.

_Even if they did get dinner all at once, most of them would still be eating in the fields,_ I thought. _I wonder what's going on?_

I trudged down the road, my backpack feeling heavier with each step I took.

"You put way too much stuff in there, Kagome," I muttered to myself, continuing over the bridge that led into the village. As I passed one of the outer houses, I noticed a young man sitting outside, fast asleep. I recognized him as a farmer's kid who'd asked me to heal him after he got hurt in a squabble with some other boys. I distinctly remembered him saying he didn't like to fight, and only hit back because they had been bullying him. _So then why was he holding a sword?_

Curiosity getting the better of me, I set down my backpack and cautiously tapped his shoulder. His eyes snapped open as he jerked awake, and his hand instinctively wrapped around the hilt of the sword.

"L-lady Kagome!" he spluttered. "I-I was, uh –"

I held up a hand, silencing him. "Never mind that. Just, um, is something going on around here?"

The young man blushed. "Er… yes. Lady Kaede asked that you come to her house as soon as you arrived. I'm afraid I wasn't expecting you quite so soon…" he looked at the floor as he said it. "She said that she would explain things, so I was not to tell you more than this."

"_O_-kay…" I muttered, shouldering my backpack once again. "Well, then, I'm off! Thanks for the news!"

He bobbed his head, embarrassed, and flitted inside the house, which I assumed, was his – or his father's. I set off in the direction of Lady Kaede's house.

_What's so important that Kaede has to tell everyone _not_ to tell me?_ I wondered.

XXX

_~Meanwhile, with Lord Sesshoumaru's group~  
No P.O.V._

It seemed to be a relatively normal day in the lives of Lord Sesshoumaru's group. Rin was riding Ah-Un, receiving a berating from Jaken, who was leading the two-headed dragon, for taking too long to find food. And, as usual, Lord Sesshoumaru himself was walking at the front of their party, silently enduring the voice of his youkai retainer grating his sensitive ears.

But the normalcy was not to last long.

An old woman dressed in a strange, bright orange kimono stood at the crest of the hill in front of them, her back to the small party. Sesshoumaru, true to his reputation, paid her no heed as they passed – or, at least, he appeared to. In truth, the daiyoukai was actually somewhat intrigued with the old crone. She did not even flinch as they passed, which was quite a feat considering the appearance of Ah-Un, Jaken, and, indeed, himself. Sesshoumaru knew that humans could tell he was a youkai – yet this old woman did not seem to be bothered by three youkai and a human girl passing within a foot of her person.

Slightly curious, his golden eyes slid to left, observing her face. Her steely blue eyes were glazed over and staring into the middle distance, as if she was caught up in a memory. Her arms hung at her sides, and her mouth was pressed in a thin line. Graying hair was shoved into a messy bun that was off-center. The Lord of the West decided this was one of the stranger humans he had seen in his long life, and returned his gaze to the road ahead.

He had hardly taken three steps more before he heard an old, rasping, female voice.

"Hey, you!"

Sesshoumaru gave no indication of hearing the elderly woman, and continued on his way.

"Hey! You! Tall fellow with the silver hair!" He had to give her kudos for persistence. Not many youkai, even, would dare to call out to him in such an impudent manner more than once.

"Come now, I know you can hear me! You're an inu youkai! Lord Sesshoumaru, ruler of the Western Lands, am I right?"

The daiyoukai paused in his stride. _How… interesting._ Very few humans outside his domain could recognize him. He looked over his shoulder at the old woman, who was glaring at him as threateningly as an old woman could.

"It is no concern of yours, human," the inu youkai dismissed her coldly, intent on continuing on.

An almost-crazed grin found its way onto the woman's face. "No, but _this_ is a concern of yours!"

This time Sesshoumaru turned to face her, locking her blue eyes with his gold ones. "Explain yourself," he commanded.

"I have seen," she rasped, her eyes becoming slightly distant. "Tonight… the moon will run blood red." Then the blue eyes became sharp once more. "Thought you might like to know that, my Lord."

The Lord of the West merely regarded her coldly.

She grinned again. "Have a good day!" she crowed, before hobbling off in the opposite direction of their party.

"The nerve of that woman!" Jaken growled. "Speaking to you in such a manner! 'The moon will run blood red' – bah! She has no power of foresight!"

"A red moon?" Rin quietly asked. "Does that mean an eclipse, Master Jaken?"

"Of course it does, you silly child!" he barked. "But that old human was near insanity – she did not know what she was talking about."

During this time, the youkai Lord was quietly contemplating what the old crone had relayed.

"Jaken," Sesshoumaru said coolly, causing the kappa youkai to snap to attention immediately.

"Y-yes, milord?" he asked meekly.

"You will take Ah-Un and Rin to the Palace of the West and wait there until I return for you. Inform Temari to erect a barrier around the palace tonight, and not let anyone through."

Jaken gasped. "B-but milord! You cannot honestly believe what that crazed woman said! She was on the verge of losing her mind!"

The daiyoukai pivoted slowly to face his retainer, his eyes narrowed. "This Sesshoumaru will take no chances in this matter. You will do as I say."

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama," the kappa youkai said, bowing his head. He understood his master's sensitivity on the matter.

Jaken clambered up onto Ah-Un in front of Rin and snapped the reins. "Let's go!" The dragon began walking westward.

"Wait, Sesshoumaru-sama!" Rin cried, twisting in the saddle so she could see him. "I want to stay with you!"

Sesshoumaru's golden eyes softened a bit as he looked at his young ward. "It is only for tonight, Rin. I will fetch you all in the morning."

"Do you promise?" the human girl asked.

The inu youkai inclined his head. "I give you my word I will come for you when the day breaks."

Rin looked satisfied, and turned to face west once more. Jaken snapped the reins again, and Ah-Un took to the skies, aiming for the Palace of the West.

Sesshoumaru, content that his party would be safe, turned and began walking east, putting valuable distance between himself and the palace. This night… this night, he would take no chances. Precaution could be the only thing that would keep them alive.

XXX

_~Sundown, at Kaede's Village~  
Kagome's P.O.V._

"What? Whaddaya mean there's gonna be an eclipse tonight?!"

Inuyasha glared at me suspiciously, and I sighed.

"I mean exactly what I said!" I replied. "A wandering old psychic came by a few hours ago and told Kaede that an eclipse would occur tonight!"

"Feh." Inuyasha looked away. "You're gonna go to all this trouble because some _human_ who claimed to see the future said it was gonna happen?" He looked around at all the fortifications and weapons being made by villagers, distaste plain on his face.

I began to glare at him. "Better safe than sorry," I retorted. "Besides, if what everyone told me was true, it'll be _you_ we'll have to protect the village from!"

He glared back. "What did they tell you?"

I closed my eyes and turned away, my nose in the air. "Just that moon affects you in more ways than one."

Inuyasha sighed, causing me to open one eye curiously. He was looking towards the forest, his expression thoughtful, and his arms folded. "C'mon, Kagome. I guess you, at least, deserve an explanation." With that, he began walking in the direction of the trees.

Slightly confused, I hurried after him.

"You know how the phase of the moon dictates my time of weakness?" he asked quietly. It was a rhetorical question, but I nodded anyway. "That's because inu youkai are some of the few youkai affected by the moon."

I stared at him in shock. "But then Sesshoumaru –"

Inuyasha shook his head. "The moon doesn't affect pure-bloods very much, but it sure does some weird stuff to us hanyou. Like my period of weakness, during the time with no moon."

"So how does the moon affect pure-blooded youkai?"

He sighed. "The only noticeable way it affects them is during the total eclipse of the moon."

I gasped.

"The affect is about equal on both hanyou and pure-blood youkai – our emotions, instincts, and desires basically control us, and sometimes we'll sort of go… crazy."

"Your emotions… control you?" I was confused.

Inuyasha nodded. "Think of it like we're reduced to our basic personality. We can't hide our emotions or control them, which is why people die if they get an inu angry on the night of the eclipse."

I was at a loss for words – I could do little more than stare at him as we stopped at the edge of the trees.

"So it's actually sort of good you're here," he continued with a wan smile. "Because if that human psychic was right, and I do go nuts, you can 'sit' me into oblivion."

Even the thought of how comical that would be didn't stop the worry that began gnawing at me.

"But," I protested, my eyes wide, "what if Sesshoumaru is around here?"

His eyes met mine. "Then we'd better hope no one got him angry and he's not apt to go crazy," he said, his voice serious. "Otherwise we're pretty much screwed."

XXX

_~Nine-Forty-five PM, with Sesshoumaru~  
No P.O.V._

The moon had risen, but it had not yet turned red. Perhaps it was not going to; but Sesshoumaru had no way of knowing. If an eclipse was to occur, it was far too early for it to begin.

_If that old human gave this Sesshoumaru false information_… he thought with a soft growl, _she will pay with her life._

The daiyoukai narrowed his eyes at the full moon, willing it to cower and dart beneath the horizon as any being in their right mind would do when faced with this look. Of course, it did nothing.

He detested the idea of not being in control of himself; thus, he rightfully detested the night of an eclipse. Every night a full moon appeared in the sky, he was on edge until it was well past midnight. If there was one thought the Lord of the West could not stand, it was loosing control during an eclipse and injuring – or killing – anyone who chose to follow him. It was highly dishonorable.

Tonight, though, the inu youkai could relax slightly knowing that Rin, Jaken, and Ah-Un were safe within the fortified Palace of the West. He had confidence in Temari's skills in constructing a barrier – if she concentrated, she could keep even a daiyoukai such as himself at bay for a short time. He was counting on that.

Sesshoumaru tore his gaze from the moon and continued walking, trying to put his mind in a meditative state. If he could do that, he would be far less likely to lose control to his anger.

XXX

_~Ten-Fifty-five PM, at Kaede's Village~  
Kagome's P.O.V._

"Inuyasha!" I yelled, running through the village. "Inuyasha, where are you?!"

Several of the villagers glanced around, terrified, at my words. This was not going according to plan. Inuyasha and I were supposed to be sitting in the center of the village _now_, and he was nowhere to be found.

"Kagome!" I heard Sango's distant voice and looked up to see her sitting on Kirara about forty feet in the air. "Did you find anything?"

"No!" I called back, my anxiety plainly showing in my voice. "Did you?"

She shook her head. "Sorry. I'm going to do a sweep to the west; can you poke around in the forest?"

"Yeah," I said with a nod. Kirara shot off towards the west, and I ran out of the village towards the forest, calling Inuyasha's name as I went. I had barely reached the edge of the trees when the red-clad hanyou appeared out of the darkness, his expression distant and wistful.

"Inuyasha!" I yelled angrily. "Where the hell were you? We're supposed to be in the center of the village right now!"

"I know, I know. Gimme a break, Kagome," he replied, his eyes hardening and his expression annoyed. "I had to take care of something. Sheesh."

"Don't you 'sheesh' me, mister!" His dismissive air was so aggravating! "Kaede came up with this plan so no one would get hurt, and you're the key component! What could be so important in the _forest_ that you needed to take care of?!"

"It's none of your business," Inuyasha growled. We glared at each other for a few moments before I sighed and looked away.

"Fine. Then will you _please_ take me to the village center so we can put the plan into action?" I asked politely.

Inuyasha merely huffed. "We don't even know if the stupid eclipse is even going to happen. This would be a lot of preparation for nothing if that psychic turned out to be wrong." Nonetheless, he allowed me to climb onto his back, and he jumped off in the direction of the village.

"Now, when we get to Kaede's house, you need to try to meditate. I'll be standing by in case –"

"Kagome," he interrupted, his voice slightly amused, "in addition to the five other times you've told me Kaede's plan, Miroku, Sango, Kaede, and even Shippou have explained it to me at least three times each. I think I've got it by now."

"Oh." I blushed. "Sorry."

The hanyou merely shook his head.

Thanks to Inuyasha's awesome speed, it took us less than a minute to reach the village center. The villagers outside Kaede's house nodded as we both entered, ready to do their part in the plan.

The plan was as follows: Inuyasha and I would stay in Kaede's house for the duration of the eclipse, surrounded on the outside by a dozen of the village's most skilled warriors. Inuyasha would try to meditate, but if he began to get angry – so much so that it was going to be dangerous – I would 'sit' him, and the men outside would subdue him to the best of their ability.

The safety of the rest of the village was ensured, as Miroku, Sango, Kirara, and Shippou were standing by to destroy any other youkai that attempted to attack during the eclipse. The only thing that would throw a wrench in the whole thing would be the appearance of Sesshoumaru or an inu youkai of similar strength – or perhaps Naraku. Their emotional instability combined with their immense power would make it nearly impossible to defend the village against them.

Inuyasha sighed and sat down on the floor, folding his legs and his hands in his sleeves. "Don't talk," he told me, "otherwise it'll ruin my concentration." I nodded, and he closed his eyes.

As quietly as I could, I made my way over to the window, watching the moon. The last time I had seen an eclipse was when I was in third grade, and the memory was fuzzy.

_Of course, now that I might be able to see one, it has to be a _dangerous_ event._ I sighed softly. _My life is messed up._

I was shaken from my thoughts as the edge of the moon began to turn a faded orange/red. So the psychic _had_ been right. Huh.

Inuyasha was breathing deeply behind me, causing me wonder; _can he feel the eclipse starting?_ I stole a quick glance at the hanyou over my shoulder, and he looked the same as when he had begun to meditate.

_Maybe not._ I turned my attention back to the moon.

I didn't know how long I watched the color creep across the face of the celestial body, but soon it was almost completely red. The village outside looked almost like a dream, bathed in scarlet light. It was awe-inspiring and scary at the same time.

_Like Sesshoumaru,_ I thought wryly. The elder son of Inu no Taisho was _literally_ awesome; he was so strong, so fast… and yet, he was incredibly scary. He could kill the entire village with no effort, and probably wouldn't think a thing of it. And yet, when it came to the humans within his domain – and, obviously, Rin – he was incredibly protective, though he wouldn't show it outright. He was sort of like Inuyasha in that respect.

There was a rustle from behind me, and I turned around to see that Inuyasha had stood, and was staring at me with a strange expression. It was almost… hungry.

"Kikyou," he stated flatly.

I decided to ignore what he said. "Weren't you going to meditate?" I asked politely, aware that if I snapped at him he would probably go crazy.

"Cut the crap, Kikyou. Why would I meditate when I could be with you?" He stepped closer to me, eyes dark and hungry. This was creepy.

"Inuyasha, I'm not Kikyou. I'm Kagome," I stated firmly. "Don't you remember me?"

His eyes cleared for a moment. "Kagome?" Then they darkened again. "You're just a cheap copy of Kikyou," the hanyou growled. "That's unforgivable."

_Cheap copy of Kikyou?_ I resisted glowering at him. _Where did he pull that out of?!_

"Inuyasha…" I said, my tone a warning.

"There can only be one Kikyou." He stepped forward again, raising his claws. I backed up against the wall, scared. "And you're not the real one!"

He lunged toward me, and I screamed.

"_**SIT!"**_

XXX

_~Meanwhile, with Sesshoumaru~  
No P.O.V._

Lord Sesshoumaru sat at the base of a rather large tree, leaning against the trunk. His arms were folded across his chest, his eyes were closed, and he was breathing deeply. The red moonlight dappled around him, giving him an ethereal, mysterious look – even more so than usual.

Though he looked peaceful enough, the inu youkai was struggling to maintain the meditative state of his mind. Any little thing he could hear, sense, or smell was pushing at the tedious balance of his emotions. And the drawback of meditation during this time was that it heightened his already incredible senses further.

Thus, the daiyoukai's mind was a whirlwind of thoughts and emotions, each battling for dominance: he was relieved he would not have to kill the psychic, as that would be incredibly bothersome; he was angry at the eclipse, and how it prevented him from controlling his emotions; he was curious as to how his hanyou brother and his pack were dealing with this; and he was happy that his own pack was safe within the walls of the Palace of the West.

Suddenly, several thoroughly unwanted sounds reached Sesshoumaru's sensitive ears. First, the distressed scream of Inuyasha's strangely dressed miko, which quickly turned into the word "sit!" And, secondly, Inuyasha's own yelp of pain followed by his angry growl. Shortly afterward came the sound of snapping string, and the clatter of many small objects on the floor accompanied by the cold laughter of the dead miko; the one for whom his baka brother held affection for.

Sesshoumaru's concentration broken, thoughts of the miko badly hurt by his brother's hand invaded his head, rousing a degree of protective instincts he didn't know he possessed. With a low growl, he opened his eyes, now blood red, and got to his feet. His youki swirled around him like a whirlwind for a second before his entire body glowed red. With a final swirl of youki and a flash of red light, Sesshoumaru shifted into his true form.

The gigantic white inu youkai was now taller than the tree he had just been resting under in his human form. He lifted his nose into the air, searching for traces of the familiar scents of his brother's pack. They were not far away – at least, not for him.

Sesshoumaru didn't know why he suddenly felt so protective of the miko; as if she were a part of _his_ pack, not Inuyasha's. But his instincts were screaming at him to go to her side to protect her not only from his hanyou brother, but from the dead miko as well. And, helpless against the roiling emotions, he howled at the scarlet moon before bounding away in the direction of the human he felt so compelled to protect.

XXX

_~Meanwhile, with Sango, Miroku, Shippou, and Kirara~  
No P.O.V._

Miroku beat back another weak centipede youkai with his staff before turning around and racing back to stand back to back with Sango, who was fending off some youkai of her own.

"Makes you wonder just how many youkai knew that an inu hanyou was the main protector of this village," the houshi remarked while slicing a worm-like demon in half. "This would all be over in about two seconds if we could use the Tetsusaiga."

"I agree," Sango said, destroying about fifteen of the persistent youkai with one sweep of Hiraikotsu. "But don't you find it kind of funny that we're protecting Inuyasha when it's not a new moon?"

Miroku laughed as he threw sacred sutras toward an incoming cloud of demons, purifying most of them. "Quite, my dear Sango!"

"Sango! Miroku!" Kirara landed beside the two humans with Shippou on her back. The little kitsune leapt off the neko youkai and onto Miroku's shoulder, who was holding up his staff to fend off the never-ending stream of youkai. "Can you feel that youki?" he asked, his tail fluffed out.

Both the taijia and the houshi paused for the slightest of seconds, trying to sense the youki that had Shippou so distressed, but couldn't get past the horde of youkai they were currently fighting. With a heavy sigh, Miroku sliced through the demons that were immediately before him and driving his staff into the ground. Shippou jumped back onto Kirara.

"Get behind me," he commanded, holding his right arm out in front of him. He grasped the sacred beads looped around his forearm and pulled them off, yelling, "_Kazaana!_"

The black hole began sucking in the mass of demons before them. Before long, all of the youkai had been consumed, and the houshi clenched his fist, re-wrapping it with the beads.

Immediately, both the humans were able to sense the immense youki that was approaching – and _fast_.

"What _is_ that?" Sango asked incredulously. "No – _who_ is that? That's just one youkai, not a whole bunch together!"

"I don't know," Miroku replied, staring at the forest as the taijia came to stand next to him, Hiraikotsu at the ready. "It seems kind of familiar, though…"

Shippou still appeared to be frightened. "Only a daiyoukai could possess that amount of youki," he informed them. "And whoever it is, they're _angry_."

Sango and Miroku looked at each other. "Daiyoukai?" they asked in unison. The houshi turned back to the kitsune.

"Shippou, can you catch a scent?" he demanded.

Wide-eyed, the young youkai shook his head. Kirara padded forward to stand next to Sango. Shippou, taking advantage of the neko youkai's height, climbed up to stand on her head, his nose wiggling as he sniffed the air.

"Hold on a sec!" he exclaimed. "I know this scent!" He sniffed once more before he paled. "It's Sesshoumaru-sama…"

The two humans exchanged glances and readied their weapons; their eyes fixed on the stretch of forest that Sesshoumaru's immense youki seemed to emanate from. Suddenly, a streak of white could be seen above the trees, coming towards them so fast that it was impossible to discern its shape. Within moments, it had reached the edge of the trees, and the four village defenders gasped at the sight of the enormous white dog that leapt out of the forest.

It slid to a stop before them, and there was no doubt in their minds who this was. For although neither Sango, Miroku, Shippou, nor, even, Kirara, had seen Sesshoumaru in his true form, there was no mistaking the blue crescent moon on his forehead, nor the magenta stripes on his cheeks.

Sesshoumaru's red eyes looked down at the beings below him, and a low growl rumbled in his throat.

_Houshi_, he snapped mentally, locking eyes with Miroku.

The human jumped at the sound of the daiyoukai's voice in his head, but quickly regained his composure. _Of course he's projecting his thoughts,_ Miroku berated himself. _He can't speak out loud in his true form – at least, not in a language I can understand._

"Yes, Sesshoumaru-sama?" he asked politely, aware that angering him further could spell disaster for the entire village.

_Where are my otouto and the miko?_ The red moonlight coupled with the sheer intensity of his youki – so much so that it could be seen – made Sesshoumaru quite an intimidating sight indeed.

"I am sorry, my lord," Miroku said with a low bow, "but Inuyasha and Kagome must not be disturbed. It is critical to the survival of this village."

_It is critical to the survival of the miko that they are separated immediately! _The Western Lord's youki flared angrily. _Now where are they?_ he reiterated.

Miroku paled. "Kagome is in danger? But Inuyasha can't hurt her, not with the beads of subjugation around his neck…"

_I am quite sure he no longer wears that strange necklace_, Sesshoumaru growled. _And it is not only Inuyasha that poses a threat to her._

The human hesitated.

"Just tell him where they are, Miroku!" Sango hissed.

"But what about-" he protested.

"No buts!" she interrupted. "Isn't it obvious? He's _worried_ about _Kagome_." She fixed the houshi with a knowing stare, and his eyes widened in understanding. "Besides, none of us can hope to take on Inuyasha _now_ if he's free of the beads."

Miroku nodded and turned back to the youkai before him. "Sesshoumaru-sama, Kagome and Inuyasha are currently in Kaede's house at the center of the village."

Sesshoumaru inclined his head to the human. _Thank you, houshi. In return for your information, I shall do my utmost not to cause more damage to your precious village than is necessary._

With that, the inu youkai leapt over them toward the village. The four below watched him go, shocked.

"When has Sesshoumaru _ever_ thanked someone?" Sango asked, incredulous.

"And when has he been in the habit of returning favors to _anyone_, much less a human?" Shippou exclaimed.

Miroku merely shook his head in wonder.

XXX

_~Meanwhile, With Sesshoumaru~  
No P.O.V._

Mid-bound into the village, Sesshoumaru's form glowed all white for a moment, the silhouette shifting until it was that of his human form. The glow subsided as he alighted on the ground and continued running toward the center of the village. The few humans who had peeked out of their homes to see what the commotion was quickly flitted back inside at the sight of the daiyoukai. His eyes were still red, and his youki still visible – a tribute to his raging fury.

The miko's scent emanated strongly from the hut at the village center. It was surrounded by human bodies; each one killed by an arrow to the heart. Sesshoumaru could smell the girl's fear, as well as the overpowering scents of Inuyasha and the dead miko. Anger overriding any rational thought in his mind, he drew Bakusaiga and slashed through the wall nearest him, effectively destroying it.

The sight that met the inu youkai's eyes did not calm him in the slightest.

Inuyasha had pinned the miko to the opposite wall, the beads of subjugation scattered on the floor around him. The dead miko was standing next to the hanyou, holding her bow, with one hand on his shoulder, as if she was cementing her claim over him.

Kikyou had turned around upon the destruction of the wall, and was shocked to see an extremely angry Lord of the Western Lands standing there, sword in hand. Inuyasha, too, looked over his shoulder at the commotion, revealing his eyes to be as red as Sesshoumaru's. But the daiyoukai only had eyes for Kagome, who's brown eyes were pleading and hopeful as they met his own.

Sesshoumaru growled darkly. "Release the miko."

"I'm not _touching_ her, _onii-chan_," Inuyasha growled back, throwing as much spite into the last word as was possible.

"I am not speaking of the dead miko which stands beside you, _otouto_," he snarled. "Release Kagome, or suffer the consequences." Bakusaiga, too, became outlined with youki, and Sesshoumaru's left hand glowed green with the poison of his dokkasou.

All three of the beings in the hut were taken aback by his use of Kagome's name – none more so than Kagome herself. She hadn't even thought that Sesshoumaru would have remembered it.

"Kagome's not a real miko," the hanyou retorted. "She's a _copy_. A cheap copy of the real miko – Kikyou."

The dead miko once again put her hand on Inuyasha's shoulder. "You tell him, Inuyasha," she whispered in his ear.

Upon hearing this, the daiyoukai growled again. "If anything, it is that dead miko of yours that is the copy," he pointed Bakusaiga at Kikyou. "She is made of graveyard soil and bones, and must steal the souls of the dead in order to live! _She_ is nothing but a copy of the living miko you hold to the wall right now." He fixed Inuyasha with a furious glare. "I will repeat myself once more: release Kagome!"

The hanyou glared right back. "What if I don't want to?"

"Then the dead miko will become dead, as she should be!" Sesshoumaru snapped, and Bakusaiga pulsed threateningly.

Inuyasha's eyes widened, and the crimson slowly seemed to recede from them. "You wouldn't dare," he growled.

"I would," the elder male retorted. Faster than the hanyou could blink, he stood behind Kikyou, the curved edge of his sword pressed to her throat. Immediately, Inuyasha dropped Kagome, his eyes gold once more, and pleading.

"Okay, just don't hurt her!"

With a soft snarl, Sesshoumaru unceremoniously pushed Kikyou onto his half-brother and sheathed Bakusaiga. Seeing Kagome sitting up, relatively unharmed, lightened his mood considerably, and his eyes soon lost their scarlet tinge.

The inu youkai turned his gaze back to the other two. Inuyasha had pushed Kikyou behind him, one hand on Tetsusaiga's hilt, and was glaring at the Western Lord.

"You think you can push around like I'm a pup, Sesshoumaru?" he growled, drawing the fang of destruction. "I know what I'm doing, and I don't need your interference."

"I expected more from you, otouto," Sesshoumaru murmured quietly. "Chichiue did as well."

"What are you going on about, bastard?" Inuyasha asked, his tone annoyed.

The hanyou's complete ignorance was more than Sesshoumaru could take, and he snarled at his half-brother, his eyes turning red once more, and his marks becoming jagged. "You _fool_, Inuyasha!" he snapped. "You would choose the walking dead over a living woman who _clearly_ cares deeply for you? And try to kill the woman, no less!"

He drew Bakusaiga, holding it at the ready. "You are not worthy of Kagome," he growled. "I will gladly kill you for what you have done to her."

Kagome merely looked on in awe.

"You can't kill me!" Inuyasha boasted, readying Tetsusaiga.

Sesshoumaru growled quietly. "Stabbing you through the heart should end your life quite easily." With that, he lunged at his brother, slashing at his chest. Inuyasha jumped out of the way just in time.

"You bastard!" he snarled, his eyes becoming crimson as well, and jagged stripes appearing on his cheeks. He pushed Kikyou to the side and swung Tetsusaiga at Sesshoumaru.

It wasn't nearly fast enough.

The daiyoukai easily avoided the attack, leaping into the air before coming at Inuyasha again – faster, this time. The hanyou could barely avoid Bakusaiga's blade, and the sleeve of his fire rat robe was cut open on the sharp edge.

"Damn it!" Inuyasha swore, doing a back flip to avoid another slash of Sesshoumaru's sword, and leapt about fifteen feet away. He was smirking as he looked up at his half-brother again.

"Y'know, onii-san, you sure are going to a lot of trouble to protect a human that isn't even part of your pack." He paused, and gasped theatrically. "Could it be that the mighty Lord Sesshoumaru has fallen for a lowly human?"

Sesshoumaru's gaze flickered briefly to the miko, who was still sitting in what remained of Kaede's house. "I do not know why I am doing this," he replied. "But I know you must never hurt this miko again!"

XXX

_Kagome's P.O.V._

I was dumbfounded as I watched Sesshoumaru leap towards Inuyasha once more, his crimson eyes burning with hatred. But not even for the usual reasons; sibling rivalry and all that jazz.

Had I heard him right?

"_But I know you must never hurt this miko again!"_

That was _so_ not Sesshoumaru-like. At all.

_It _is_ the eclipse,_ I reminded myself. _Inu youkai act strangely._

I returned my attention to the battle, and was surprised to see that Inuyasha was not dead, nor even gravely injured yet.

_The hell?_ I wondered. _Sesshoumaru's way faster than he is, and he's definitely not taking it easy on him, considering how angry they both are._ I squinted at the inu youkai, trying to see what, if anything, inhibited him. And, lo and behold, something was off.

He was surrounded by the red glow of his powerful youki, but beneath that was another light… it was pure… and pink.

_Sacred energy!_

With a gasp, I looked over Kikyou, whom I had practically forgot about in all the excitement. She was glaring at Sesshoumaru, her arm outstretched, with her palm facing toward him. It, too, was glowing with pink sacred energy. Realization struck me like a hammer blow – _she was trying to purify Sesshoumaru._

Suddenly, I could think of nothing but the need to save Sesshoumaru from horrible fate of being slowly purified. I knew that if I freed him from Kikyou's spiritual energy, Inuyasha would most likely die, but frankly, I could care less about the hanyou's fate. He had just tried to _kill_ me! After all we he had been through together!

_This is a total about face for both of them,_ I thought as I pushed myself to my feet and began to look around for my bow. _Instead of Inuyasha protecting me from Sesshoumaru, it's Sesshoumaru protecting me from Inuyasha!_

My bow lay beneath the ruins of what had once been the front wall of Kaede's house, along with my arrows – all but one of which were broken. I grabbed the bow and the not-broken arrow, and stepped out of the hut, turning to face Kikyou.

I notched the arrow and drew my bow, aiming straight for Kikyou's head.

"Quit. Trying. To. Purify. Him," I growled.

She looked over at me, her eyes narrowed. "And what are you going to do about it?" she taunted, an amused edge to her voice. In the red moonlight, she looked like a creature of Hell, and her attitude was only reinforcing that impression of her.

"I'll shoot you through the head," I declared with finality. "Even if you're made of clay, you shouldn't be able to survive that."

Kikyou seemed taken aback at my seriousness. Then she burst out laughing; it sounded really cruel. "You would do that to save a youkai who has tried to kill you in the past – and merely because you traveled with his hanyou brother?"

I glared at her, my fingers tightening on the bowstring. "Considering that the hanyou brother just tried to kill me, and Sesshoumaru's the one protecting me, I can safely say that yes, I would." I shifted the arm that was drawing the string. "Now stop it before I make you."

She smirked. "You cannot do anything to me." And then, just to prove her point, she sent a larger pulse of energy at my protector. Briefly, I glanced over at the fight. Sesshoumaru had slowed even more now, allowing Inuyasha to almost get in a hit or two.

"You shouldn't have done that," I warned. Then I released the bowstring with a _twang_.

Inuyasha, realizing that his beloved Kikyou was in danger, dropped Tetsusaiga and lunged toward her, trying to pull her out of the arrow's path.

He didn't entirely succeed.

The arrow flew between them, but instead of piercing Kikyou's head, as it was intended, it merely grazed her forehead. I knew the damage had been done, though, when I looked over at Sesshoumaru and saw that the pink aura of purification had dissipated.

"Damn you!" Kikyou hissed as the hanyou helped her to her feet. It was disconcerting to see the gash on her forehead – it should have been bleeding; yet it was not. "You'll pay for that, girl!" She reached for her bow and arrows.

"I would not suggest doing that unless you wish to die."

Kikyou froze at the sound of Sesshoumaru's voice, and turned to face him with apprehension. His youki had begun to whirl around him again, signifying he was getting ready to shift into his true form.

"Leave now," he growled, "and I shall spare your lives."

"Why should we?" Inuyasha asked, cocky. The daiyoukai's youki flared dangerously at his words, and a thought seemed to strike the hanyou as he felt this.

I could imagine what was crossing his mind: _Kikyou's not purifying him anymore… _shit._ I can't beat him._

Heh.

Apparently, my assumption was correct, as Inuyasha shot a glare at Sesshoumaru before scooping Kikyou up and throwing her over his shoulder.

"Feh," he spat. "This isn't over, Sesshoumaru." Then his cold glare shifted to me. "Kagome," he acknowledged. Then he turned and leapt away towards the forest.

Sesshoumaru's whirlwind of youki subsided several moments later, and his eyes became gold once more, though he continued to glare in the direction Inuyasha and Kikyou had disappeared. Cautiously, I stepped closer to him.

"Sesshoumaru?" I asked hesitantly. He turned slightly, looking back at me, but said nothing, so I assumed it was okay to continue.

"Um, not to sound ungrateful, but why did you save me?"

This time, Sesshoumaru pivoted to fully face me, a small smile on his face. It wasn't cold or threatening, as I would have expected, but just a normal smile.

"I could ask you same," he said softly.

"I, er…" I found I didn't have an answer to that question. I just… needed to help him. "Well, you did save me from death by Inuyasha," I pointed out, in lieu of a real answer.

He chuckled, and I can honestly say that it sounded really nice. I'd never heard him laugh before. "I, too, do not know why I came to your rescue. My instincts told me to do so, and tonight is not a night where I can very easily argue against them." His gaze flickered to the moon, and I followed it. One edge of the huge red disk was slowly fading back to white.

_It's nearly over_, I realized, looking back at Sesshoumaru, who was still bathed in the red moonlight.

_He looks really handsome, _a random, stray thought informed me as it crossed my mind. _Especially when he smiles._

_Oh, be quiet!_ I thought back, annoyed. _Even if you're right…_

The inu youkai seemed to sense that I was starring at him, and met my eyes again. "Are you all right, Kagome?" he asked.

I still couldn't get used to him saying my name, but what really surprised me was the note of concern that I heard in his voice. "Um, yeah! I'm fine… totally fine!" I exclaimed, trying to sound upbeat. Not easy, I might add, when your crush has just tried to kill you.

Sesshoumaru looked skeptical, and he approached me slowly, almost… _warily_. "You do not sound fine," he stated, stopping about three feet from me. "And I would not expect you to be so, considering that my _baka_ of a half-brother and the dead miko tried to kill you."

_Is there an echo in here?_ I thought wryly.

"No, really, I'm okay!" I attempted to reassure him. "It's just the eclipse that was making him act crazy, so I'm okay with it. He'll be back in the morning, and everything will be back to normal."

Sesshoumaru's eyes widened, and he drew a sharp breath. "Did Inuyasha not tell you _how_ we are affected by this accursed red moon beyond going 'crazy'?"

"Erm, well…" I looked at the ground, trying to remember what he had said. "I think he said something about your emotions, instincts, and desires controlling you… or something."

He sighed softly. "And you do not know what that entails, I presume."

"What do you mean?" I looked up at him, and was shocked to see something like sadness in his eyes. Why would Sesshoumaru, Lord of the West and renowned hater of humans and hanyou alike, be sad about something like this?

"Inuyasha was doing nothing more than what he truly, in his heart, wanted to do."

His words hit my like a hammer blow, and I gasped. "S-so then, Inuyasha… just wants to kill me? Because I look like Kikyou?" I looked down again, tears welling up. "B-but I – I thought h-he –"

_This is just a bad dream, just a bad dream, _I chanted to myself, trying to stop crying. _I'm gonna wake up any minute now, and Inuyasha will be there, trying to fend off some youkai that attacked in the middle of the night…_

I tried pinching myself. Hard. Nothing happened.

_This can't be real._ _Inuyasha would never… could never…_ I swayed where I stood, feeling faint.

To my surprise, two hands came to rest on my shoulders, steadying me. I looked up into Sesshoumaru's brilliant gold eyes.

"Kagome," he said softly. "You should not be so distraught over the hanyou. He has shown that he is not worthy of you or your tears."

"But he-" I sniffed. "I thought he loved me."

He frowned slightly, wiping away a tear from my cheek with a clawed finger. "Inuyasha is cruel to allow you to believe such a thing when he did not mean it. Had the eclipse not cursed him to realize his true feelings… he would be dead."

"Cursed?" I echoed.

"The dead miko – Kikyou, yes? – she does not care for any living being, least of all my half-brother. The eclipse has forced him to realize who he truly loves, thus he has been cursed to love only someone who cannot and does not want to return his feelings." He paused. "And he deserved it, for what he has done to you."

I looked at the ground, trying to make sense of the information. Did I want Inuyasha to be cursed? Even after what he had done to me… I still loved him.

Or did I?

It didn't hurt as much as it had before, and this was, by far, the _worst_ way he had dumped me for Kikyou. Oh, don't get me wrong, it hurt like _hell_ that he would try to kill me – but that was just it: it hurt that he tried to kill me, not that he loved Kikyou.

Maybe I just didn't love him in the same way.

I glanced back up at Sesshoumaru, a smile once more on my face. "Thank you, Sesshoumaru. For everything." I bit my lip. "I only hope… that the eclipse hasn't cursed you, too – because you totally don't deserve it."

He gave me a small smile. "You truly are kind, Kagome." I blushed, looking down, but he put his index finger under my chin, tilting my head up so I met his eyes. "But I believe this night gave me a gift."

"Really?" God, his eyes were beautiful. _He_ was beautiful.

He chuckled. "Really."

Our noses were nearly touching now, but I didn't mind.

"It has shown me who I truly care for," he murmured. "And it turns out she has been right under my nose for a while now."

With that, he closed the distance and kissed me.

It was short, sweet, and very gentle. Still, I was breathing heavily when we broke apart. I had never experienced anything like that.

"Oh my god," I breathed, a wave of dizziness washing though me. I swayed, falling against Sesshoumaru's mokomoko. His arms wrapped around me, holding me tightly to his chest. "That was…" I searched for an adequate word to describe it, but I could think of nothing.

"Words are overused," Sesshoumaru murmured. "I know what you mean."

I sighed contentedly, snuggling in closer to him. His mokomoko was so very soft, and he made me feel so very safe…

Within moments, I was drifting off to sleep.

XXX

_~The next day, with Kagome~  
Kagome's P.O.V._

I awoke to voices.

"You're sure about this, Lady Kaede?"

"Aye. He does not strike me as one who would lie – especially about something like this."

_What are they talking about?_ I sat up with a gigantic yawn, and then looked around in confusion. It looked like the inside of Kaede's house, except it… wasn't. Everything was all rearranged, and it looked a little smaller, even.

"You're awake, Kagome!" Sango exclaimed. I looked over to see her sitting in a circle with Miroku, Kaede, and Shippou.

"Nearly," I mumbled, rubbing the sleep out of my eyes. "Where am I?"

"One of the village families kindly agreed to lend us their hut, as Kaede's is… well…" Miroku trailed off.

I blushed. "Sorry, Kaede."

"Better my house, child, than ye," she said with a smile. "Ye gave me quite a scare when Sesshoumaru carried ye in here. I thought ye were dead!"

"Sesshoumaru carried me in?" I asked, trying to recall what had happened. The last thing I remembered was thinking how safe I felt with him. "Where is he now?"

"He went back to the Palace of the West to get the rest of his pack," Shippou informed me.

"Oh," I tried to keep the disappointment out of my voice, but to little avail.

Sango chuckled, exchanging a glance with Miroku. "Told you." He rolled his eyes good-naturedly.

I glared at them. "What're you talking about?"

The houshi began whistling innocently, and Sango suddenly became very interested in the floor. I huffed.

Suddenly, I felt a powerful youki enter the perimeter of the village, and Shippou said simply, "He's back."

I was on my feet and out the door in less than a second.

I could see him walking regally down the main "street" of the village; dragon, toad-ish youkai, and little human girl in tow. If _he_ hadn't been leading the party, you would almost laugh at the group. But to do so in front of him would be a veritable death sentence.

He stopped about five feet away from me, his face once again an impassive mask.

"Kagome," he acknowledged.

"Sesshoumaru," I said, ignoring the squawk of protest from Jaken, probably because I gave him no suffix.

We just stood there, staring at each other, for who-knows-how-long. Then, quite suddenly, I found myself in his arms, my lips captured in another kiss. I heard a whistle behind me – from Miroku, who I hadn't realized followed me outside – and an "awww" from Sango – again, when had she come out? – _and_ Rin. Jaken just squawked away, ranting about something, and, thankfully, Ah-Un couldn't talk.

When he pulled away, I was breathless again.

"I love you, Kagome," he whispered in my ear.

"Love you too, Sesshoumaru," I murmured back.

FINIS

**HOLY CRAP! I ACTUALLY FINISHED A STORY! IT'S A MIRACLE, PEOPLE!**

**On another note: Wow, I really suck at writing kiss scenes...**

**Hey! Kaede finally shows up at the end! I had an alternate ending where she didn't appear, but I've mentioned her so many times… she needed to be included.**

**By the way, Temari is just an OC who's like the barrier-master (mistress?) at the Palace of the West. She's a bat youkai. (What's that you say? Bat youkai and barriers? Haven't heard that before, have we? XD)**

**I might write a sequel oneshot to this (I'll just post it as another chappy), because there are some ideas that I kind of want to include (plus Inu needs to make a comeback!). But for now, I'm going to focus on some other stories. I'm just happy to get this one DONE!**

**Thanks to everyone who proofread this! You all rock! Also, an EXTRA EXTRA HUGE thanks to Grovyle Knight, who helped me when I got stuck. You're awesome!**

**Please Review!  
**

**~Sapphire Kyogre**


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